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Yucca Mountain and Nuclear Waste:

Yucca Mountain and Nuclear Waste:. Gambling with the future of the human race. This is Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Scary Facts. Radiation from the bombs dropped on Hiroshima killed __________ people in a year. Scary Facts.

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Yucca Mountain and Nuclear Waste:

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  1. Yucca Mountain and Nuclear Waste: Gambling with the future of the human race

  2. This is Yucca Mountain, Nevada

  3. Scary Facts Radiation from the bombs dropped on Hiroshima killed __________ people in a year

  4. Scary Facts Radiation from the bombs dropped on Hiroshima killed _140,000_ people in a year

  5. Scary facts When full, Yucca Mountain Will be ____________ more radioactive than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima

  6. Scary facts When full, Yucca Mountain Will be _1,400,000_ more radioactive than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima

  7. This is Las Vegas, Nevada

  8. Scary facts • Yucca Mountain is ____ miles north of Las Vegas

  9. Scary facts • Yucca Mountain is_80_miles north of Las Vegas

  10. This is Chernobyl,Belarus

  11. These are children harmed by radiation at Chernobyl:

  12. Scary facts • Radiation from the meltdown at Chernobyl nuclear plant was traced as far as ___________.

  13. Scary facts • Radiation from the meltdown at Chernobyl nuclear plant was traced as far as North America.

  14. To Recap: • Yucca Mountain will be: • 1,400,000 times more radioactive than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima • Home for the waste from 130 “Chernobyls” • 80 miles from a major metropolis

  15. Those aren’t even the most crucial reasons to oppose Yucca Mountain… But First:

  16. What is nuclear waste? • Nuclear Waste, or spent nuclear fuel, is the rods of uranium pellets that are no longer useful in nuclear reactors, but remain highly radioactive for tens of thousands of years, possibly more • Also some waste from weapons research and testing

  17. 4 Reasons: • 1) Geologically/ecologically hazardous • 2) Dangers of transportation/security • 3) Suspect motives of those endorsing the project • 4) Perpetuates cycle of nuclear power

  18. Geological Hazards • Earthquakes • Third most seismically active area in the U.S. • Located above an active magma pocket • Leaching of radioactive materials into water table

  19. A touch of irony • A June 1992 earthquake coming in at 5.2 on the Richter scale caused more than $1 million in damage to the U.S. Department of Energy building located just 6 miles from the Yucca mountain site

  20. Transportation Dangers • Highly toxic materials will be on trucks and trains traveling thousands of miles across the country • The routes are very public • Terrorist dangers • Risks of purely accidental incidents (i.e. crashes, derailings)

  21. Security Dangers • Material is extremely dangerous to humans for more than 10,000 years • A terrorist “holy grail”? • Accidental exposure?

  22. Suspect Motives • The Government has already spent $4-7 billion investigating the Yucca Mountain project • Nothing has been built yet • Yucca mountain is the ONLY site that has been investigated

  23. Ominous future of Nuclear Power: • Yucca Mountain will be full by 2035 and a new facility will be needed • Does NOT get waste out of cities, it still sits in cooling pools • Cancer rates are 5-10% higher immediately downwind from nuclear power plants

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